DETROIT – A Dearborn man claimed to have lucrative valet contracts with the Renaissance Center, two casinos, Somerset Collection in Troy, Cedar Point, and other businesses to persuade the owner of several Detroit night clubs and another businessman to invest more than $1 million into his company, authorities said.
Hussein Adnan Bazzi, of Dearborn, was the owner of A-Star Valet of Michigan, a company providing valet services to small Metro Detroit businesses, according to a July 13 indictment.
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He’s accused of committing fraud by creating fake valet contracts to show potential investors so they would pay him hundreds of thousands of dollars. His scheme took place from August 2017 through January 2019, according to officials.
Detroit night club owner
Court records show Bazzi spoke with the owner of several Detroit night clubs on June 1, 2018, and claimed that A-Star had secured a lucrative, six-year contract with the Renaissance Center. He received a $200,000 investment because of that conversation, officials said.
Bazzi gave the investor a fake contract that appeared to show that the Ren Cen had contracted with A-Star for valet services, according to authorities.
On June 27, 2018, Bazzi received a $500,000 investment from the same man by claiming that A-Star had secured valet contracts with Somerset Collection in Troy, Cedar Fair Entertainment, and MotorCity Casino and Hotel, the indictment says.
Cedar Fair Entertainment operates the Cedar Point amusement park in Sandusky, Ohio, court records show.
Officials said Bazzi gave the investor fake contracts from Somerset Collection, Cedar Fair, and MotorCity Casino and Hotel to secure the $500,000 payment.
Bazzi also gave the investor fake emails, contracts, and correspondence that appeared to be from a “well-known and prosperous Michigan business owner” who didn’t actually have a business or investment relationship with Bazzi or his company, according to authorities.
He claimed those documents showed that the well-known business owner was also investing in A-Star, in order to give his fake contracts credibility, officials said.
To hide his scheme, Bazzi made three payments to the night club owner, claiming that money represented a return on the investment, court records show.
“The effect of these payments was to induce (the investor) into continuing to invest with Bazzi,” the indictment reads.
The night club owner ultimately gave Bazzi more than $1 million, according to officials.
Metro Detroit businessman
As part of his scheme, Bazzi is accused of targeting another investor, who is described in the indictment only as “a businessman in the Metro Detroit area.”
Bazzi told this businessman on Feb. 11, 2018, that A-Star had secured a valet contract with MGM Grand Detroit, and as a result, he received a $125,000 investment, authorities said.
Bazzi emailed the businessman fake profit and loss statements, cash flow statements, and a balance sheet that appeared to show a lucrative outlook based on the agreement between A-Star and MGM Grand Detroit, court records say.
He emailed the investor a fake valet services contract on Feb. 23, 2018, that appeared to show a deal between A-Star and MGM Grand Detroit, according to officials.
Wire fraud charges
The indictment accuses Bazzi of three counts of wire fraud connected to the Feb. 11, 2018; Feb. 23, 2018; and June 27, 2018 transactions.
If convicted, he’ll have to forfeit any property obtained with the money mentioned in this scheme, the indictment says.